Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) has welcomed 2.47 million participants in 2023, marking a 25 per cent increase in visitation compared to the previous year.
The results were driven by 301 meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), business and consumer events, a notable 23 per cent rise year-on-year.
The increase in visitors reflects the strength of DWTC’s diversified content-rich calendar, led by 107 exhibitions and international association conventions and industry conferences.
These events collectively attracted 1.56 million attendees, marking a substantial 33 per cent increase compared to the previous year. Of these, over 722,000 were international attendees, representing an unprecedented 60 per cent growth year-on-year. These industry-leading events and exhibitions saw a participation of 53,789 exhibiting companies, representing a remarkable 45 per cent increase over last year.
An unprecedented 78 per cent of these exhibiting companies were international (41,864), further reinforcing DWTC’s ability to consistently draw new and repeat international participants. The surge in foreign business attendees furthers the aspirations of the D33 Agenda to propel Dubai to be a top three global economic city by 2033.
The diversity of DWTC’s robust events calendar was further reinforced last year when its consumer and leisure events portfolio grew to host 35 entertainment, live, and leisure events, collectively attracting over 850,000 visitors.
Commenting on the results, Helal Saeed Almarri, director-general of Dubai World Trade Centre Authority, said: “DWTC’s increasingly diverse exhibitions and events portfolio, along with its allied businesses, continue to go from strength to strength. Our results underscore the robust dynamics of the emirate’s thriving economy and strategic focus on key industry sectors, reinforcing Dubai’s leading status as a global hub for knowledge, innovation and business. The past year has been shaped by extraordinary momentum across the entire business and trade ecosystem, with DWTC emerging as a catalyst for agenda-shaping discussions and actionable agreements.”
DWTC further solidified its appeal as the venue of choice with 33 new entrants to its events calendar, including 17 exhibitions, 9 international associations conventions and seven conferences. These events collectively attracted nearly 95,000 participants and over 2,000 exhibiting companies.
In 2023, DWTC continued to demonstrate its ability to meet the demands of the global MICE sector across a range of high-performing sectors including healthcare, science, Food&Beverage, hospitality, technology, consumer goods, leisure and travel, transport, energy and environment.
The Healthcare, Medical, and Scientific sector emerged as the top-performing industry at DWTC, with 24 events that attracted 275,000 attendees, representing one-fifth of all exhibitions and conventions held at the venue. The number of events in this sector grew from 18 in 2022, with total participation increasing by 29 per cent. Key highlights included major events such as AEEDC and Arab Health.
The information technology sector came in second, attracting 260,000 attendees, a 17 per cent share of the MICE category. This sector was dominated by Gitex Global and its associated events, with participation up by 41 per cent YoY.
The food, hotel, and catering sector followed closely, attracting 226,000 attendees, a 14 per cent share of MICE events. Led by Gulfood and Gulfood Manufacturing, this sector experienced a substantial 42 per cent increase in participation compared to 2022.
The top five industries are rounded out by the consumer goods sector, which attracted 96,000 attendees, and the building, construction and facility management sector, with 93,000 attendees.
Notably, China Home Life and The Big 5 emerged as the leading events in their respective sectors. Other notable exhibitions and events making it to top 10 in terms of participation were Automechanica and Beauty World.
DXB LIVE experiences robust growth locally and internationally. In 2023, DXB LIVE, the experiential agency of Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), demonstrated remarkable expansion, managing a diverse portfolio of 500 events, including exhibitions, conferences, public entertainment events, concerts, weddings, graduation ceremonies, and more, the agency showcased its versatility and proficiency.
Among these events, DXB LIVE served as the primary contractor for 65 exhibitions, including flagship events like Gulfood, GITEX Global, GISEC, CABSAT, and the Dubai International Boat Show.
Throughout 2023, the experiential agency built 300 exhibition stands, collectively spanning over 145,000 square metres—a doubling of the previous year’s figures.
DWTC Authority Free Zone, Dubai’s leading driver of global competitiveness, known for fostering innovative SMEs, issued 601 new licenses. This brought the total number of licensed companies within the free zone to 1,900, underscoring its pivotal role in driving economic growth and entrepreneurship.
Additionally, DWTC’s real estate and asset management business delivered robust performance in 2023. Notably, One Central, DWTC’s flagship development, achieved an impressive 95 per cent occupancy rate. This accomplishment solidified DWTC’s position as a highly sought-after destination for nurturing growth and innovation within DWTC’s Free Zone.